Negro American League Standings (1937-1962) It was common practice for the teams in the league to all play a different number of games during the season. Standings are presented based on winning percentage for the entire season. 1937 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 27 19-8.704 Chicago American Giants 26 18-8.692 Cincinnati Tigers 26 15-11.577 Memphis Red Sox 26 13-13.500 Detroit Stars 27 12-15.444 Birmingham Black Barons 27 10-17.370 Indianapolis Athletics 27 9-18.333 St. Louis Stars 27 5-22.185 Records are for the first half of the season only. The Kansas City Monarchs won both halves of the season. Then beat the Chicago American Giants in a special post season Play-Off Series when the American Giants disputed the Monarchs being awarded the Negro American League title. Kansas City won the five game series 3 games to 1 (one game ended in a 2-2 tie). 1938 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 47 32-15.681 Memphis Red Sox 48 29-19.604 Atlanta Black Crackers 35 21-14.600 Chicago American Giants 45 25-20.556 Jacksonville Red Caps 7 3-4.429 Indianapolis ABCs 33 14-19.424 Birmingham Black Barons 31 8-23.258 The Memphis Red Sox were the winners of the first half of the season and the Atlanta Black Crackers were the winners of the second half of the season. Memphis defeated Atlanta in the Play-Off Series two games to none for the Black Crackers. 1939 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 42 28-14.667 Chicago American Giants 39 23-16.590 St. Louis Stars 34 20-14.588 Cleveland Bears 33 17-16.515 Toledo Crawfords 19 8-11.421 Memphis Red Sox 36 15-21.417 Indianapolis ABCs 12 2-10.167 The Indianapolis ABCs dropped out the league during the first half of the season and were replaced by the Toledo Crawfords. The Kansas City Monarchs (winners of the first half of the season) defeated the St. Louis Stars (winners of the second half of the season) in a Play-Off Series three games to two. 1
1940 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 33 23-10.697 Memphis Red Sox 34 18-16.529 Cleveland Bears 26 13-13.500 Chicago American Giants 37 18-19.486 Birmingham Black Barons 19 9-10.474 St. Louis-New Orleans Stars 9 3-6.333 Indianapolis Crawfords 17 4-13.235 The Kansas City Monarchs won both halves of the season and claimed the league title without a play-off. 1941 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 30 24-6.800 St. Louis-New Orleans Stars 32 20-12.625 Birmingham Black Barons 24 14-10.583 Memphis Red Sox 16 8-8.500 Jacksonville Red Caps 18 8-10.444 Chicago American Giants 20 7-13.350 The Kansas City Monarchs easily won the Negro American League championship. No play-off was held. 1942 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 38 28-10.737 Cincinnati-Cleveland Bears 20 12-8.600 Birmingham Black Barons 24 14-10.583 Memphis Red Sox 34 16-18.471 Jacksonville Red Caps 8 2-6.250 Chicago American Giants 18 2-16.111 The Kansas City Monarchs won the Negro American League title and then defeated the Homestead Grays (Negro National League champions) in the Negro League World Series. The Monarchs defeated the Grays 4 games to 1. 1943 Games Record Pct. Birmingham Black Barons 34 20-14.588 Memphis Red Sox 26 15-11.577 Cleveland Buckeyes 45 25-20.556 Kansas City Monarchs 58 29-29.500 Chicago American Giants 43 20-23.465 Cincinnati Clowns 33 15-18.455 The Birmingham Black Barons beat the Chicago American Giants three games to two in a Play-Off Series to win the Negro American League title. 2
1944 Games Record Pct. Birmingham Black Barons 70 48-22.686 Indianapolis-Cincinnati Clowns 71 40-31.563 Cleveland Buckeyes 81 40-41.494 Memphis Red Sox 95 44-51.463 Chicago American Giants 71 32-39.451 Kansas City Monarchs 65 23-42.354 The Birmingham Black Barons were crowned Negro American League champions. They met the Homestead Grays (Negro National League champions) in the Negro League World Series. Birmingham lost the World Series to Homestead 4 games to 1. 1945 Games Record Pct. Cleveland Buckeyes 69 53-16.768 Birmingham Black Barons 69 39-30.565 Chicago American Giants 74 39-35.527 Kansas City Monarchs 62 32-30.516 Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns 69 30-39.435 Memphis Red Sox 78 17-61.218 The Cleveland Buckeyes won both halves of the Negro American League season and claimed the league championship without a Play-Off Series. Cleveland won the Negro American League title by 14 games. 1946 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 57 43-14.754 Birmingham Black Barons 60 35-25.583 Cleveland Buckeyes 53 26-27.491 Indianapolis Clowns 62 27-35.435 Memphis Red Sox 60 24-36.400 Chicago American Giants 72 27-45.375 Kansas City Monarchs won the Negro American League championship without a Play-Off Series. 1947 Cleveland Buckeyes 77 54-23.701 Kansas City Monarchs 60 38-22.633 Birmingham Black Barons 60 34-26.567 Memphis Red Sox 78 33-45.423 Chicago American Giants 81 31-50.383 Indianapolis Clowns 66 22-44.333 Cleveland Buckeyes were declared Negro American League Champions. 3
1948 Games Record Pct. Birmingham Black Barons 78 57-21.731 Kansas City Monarchs 68 43-25.632 Cleveland Buckeyes 83 41-42.494 Memphis Red Sox 77 33-44.429 Indianapolis Clowns 73 27-46.370 Chicago American Giants 75 27-48.360 The Birmingham Black Barons (first half winners) defeated the Kansas City Monarchs (second half winners) in the playoffs and were named Negro American League Champions. 1949 (Eastern Division) Games Record Pct. Baltimore Elite Giants 89 59-30.663 New York Cubans 46 26-20.565 Indianapolis Clowns 81 37-44.457 Philadelphia Stars 69 31-38.449 Louisville Buckeyes 83 19-64.229 1949 (Western Division) Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 91 54-37.593 Chicago American Giants 83 48-35.578 Birmingham Black Barons 84 45-39.536 Houston Eagles 69 34-35.493 Memphis Red Sox 89 39-50.438 The Chicago American Giants were awarded the Western Division title when the Kansas City Monarchs were unable to defend their crown because several of the players were signed by Major League baseball. The Baltimore Elite Giants (Eastern Division champions) defeated the Chicago American Giants (Western Division champions) in a Play-Off Series. 1950 (Eastern Division) Games Record Pct. Indianapolis Clowns 87 47-38-2.553 Baltimore Elite Giants 45 24-20-1.545 New York Cubans 34 18-16.529 Philadelphia Stars 44 15-28-1.349 Cleveland Buckeyes 42 3-39.071 1950 (Western Division) Kansas City Monarchs 73 52-21.712 Birmingham Black Barons 78 52-25-1.675 Memphis Red Sox 76 42-32-2.568 Houston Eagles 65 23-41-1.359 Chicago American Giants 46 15-31.326 The Indianapolis Clowns won the Negro American League Eastern Division Title and the Kansas City Monarchs won both halves of the Negro American League Western Division. No playoff was held between the Eastern and Western Division Champions. 4
1951 (Eastern Division) Games Record Pct. Indianapolis Clowns 79 53-26.671 Baltimore Elite Giants 64 28-36.438 Philadelphia Stars 46 18-28.391 Birmingham Black Barons 64 24-40.375 1951 (Western Division) Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 70 42-28.600 Chicago American Giants 58 34-24.586 New Orleans Eagles 83 39-44.470 Memphis Red Sox 56 22-34.393 The Indianapolis Clowns won the Negro American League Championship. 1952 Games Record Pct. Indianapolis Clowns 74 44-30.595 Birmingham Black Barons 87 51-36.586 Chicago American Giants 63 32-31.508 Kansas City Monarchs 49 23-26.469 Memphis Red Sox 69 29-40.420 Philadelphia Stars 60 22-38.367 Indianapolis won the first half of the season and Birmingham won the second half of the season. The Indianapolis Clowns were named the Negro American League champions. 1953 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 77 56-21.727 Birmingham Black Barons 62 28-34.452 Indianapolis Clowns 75 31-43-1.419 Memphis Red Sox 58 20-37-1.351 The Kansas City Monarchs won both halves of the split season and were named Negro American League champions. Kansas City was the only team in the league to finish over.500 for the season. 1954 Games Record Pct. Indianapolis Clowns 65 43-22.662 Memphis Red Sox 84 49-34-1.590 Birmingham Black Barons 80 41-38-1.519 Detroit Stars 55 23-31-1.426 Louisville Clippers 51 19-30-2.388 Kansas City Monarchs 67 23-43-1.348 The Indianapolis Clowns won both halves of the split season and were crowed Negro American League champions. 5
1955 * First Half of Season (Incomplete) Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 15 11-4.733 Birmingham Black Barons 17 9-8.529 Memphis Red Sox 14 7-7.500 Detroit Stars 11 2-9.182 * Standings reported in the Baltimore Afro American on 06-14-55. According to a newspaper article that appeared in the Afro American on 07-12-55 the official order of finish for the first half of the Negro American League season was Kansas City Monarchs (1 st ), Birmingham Black Barons (2 nd ), Memphis Red Sox (3 rd ) and Detroit Stars (4 th ). Standings for the second half of the season do not appear to have been reported. According to an article that appeared in the Afro American on 08-27-55, most of the games of the second half of the Negro American League season were washed out by Hurricanes Connie and Diane. The Kansas City Monarchs won the Negro American League title. 1956 * Second Half of Season Games Record Pct. Memphis Red Sox 11 6-5.545 Detroit Stars 24 13-11.542 Birmingham Black Barons 18 9-9.500 Kansas City Monarchs 15 6-9.400 * Published in the Afro American on September 01, 1956. The Detroit Stars were crowned as Negro American League champions. 1957 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 43 34-9.791 Memphis Red Sox 22 15-7.682 Mobile Havana Cuban Giants 9 4-5.444 Detroit Stars 41 16-25.390 Birmingham Black Barons 24 6-18.250 New Orleans Crescent Bears 11 0-11.000 League standings as published in the Afro American on September 9, 1957. The Jacksonville Eagles were awarded a franchise before the start of the season, but failed to make the necessary payment to the league and were therefore dropped. 6
1958 Games Record Pct. Kansas City Monarchs 56 30-24-2.556 Memphis Red Sox 34 18-15-1.545 Detroit Clowns 48 21-26-1.447 Birmingham Black Barons 34 15-19.441 Kansas City Monarchs won the first half of Negro American League season. Birmingham Black Barons won the second half of the season and claimed the Negro American League championship 1959 Birmingham Black Barons Detroit Stars Kansas City Monarchs Memphis Red Sox Newark Indians Raleigh Tigers Per newspaper reports the Birmingham Black Barons were the Negro American League champions. Official League standings were not published. 1960 Birmingham Black Barons Detroit-New Orleans Stars Kansas City Monarchs Raleigh Tigers League standings were not published. 1961 Birmingham Black Barons Kansas City Monarchs Raleigh Tigers Philadelphia Stars (Associate Member) League standings were not published. 1962 Birmingham Black Barons Kansas City Monarchs Raleigh Tigers Philadelphia Stars (Associate Member) League standings were not published. 7
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